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Pour 1/3 of the Pudding mixture over first layer of bananas. Sprinkle 1/2 remaining crumbs on Pudding mixture & layer bananas on crumbs. Repeat ending with pudding mixture. Let set up in refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Reserve 1/4 cup of the berries; set aside.

ARRANGE 21 of the wafers on bottom and up side of 2-1/2-qt. serving bowl. Spoon one-third of the pudding mixture into prepared bowl; cover with half of the remaining berries. Top with layers of half of the remaining pudding mixture, remaining 21 wafers and remaining berries. Cover with layers of the remaining pudding mixture, remaining 1/2 cup whipped topping and reserved 1/4 cup berries. Cover with plastic wrap.

Cake:Whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon bits, lemon juice powder, baking powder, salt and buttermilk powder. In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter with the eggs and milk. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scoop batter into the prepared bakers about half full.

Sauce:Heat the water and butter until the butter melts. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, lemon juice powder, and sugar. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry until thoroughly combined.

Assembly:Slowly pour the sauce onto the batter, dividing it among the ramekins.

Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they’re lightly browned and beginning to shrink away from the edges of the ramekins. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Okay, so I hate artificial flavorings, things made with preservatives, and anything with hydrogenated oils. But sometimes, if the kids and I are at America’s number one super store monstrosity (I think you can guess what I’m referring to), and buying three week’s worth of groceries, I usually will let loose and buy my two favorite kinds of junk food: Doritos and Oreo flavored Jell-o.

Now, I cannot tell you any secret for Doritos—that is a trade secret combination of spices, MSG, and unmentionable deliciousness—but I have come up with my own version of Oreo pudding, which my kids and I have deemed quite good in its own right.

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk almost to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow, smooth, and it falls in ribbons. Whisk in cocoa powder and corn starch.

2. Whisk in hot milk, a half a cup at a time until mixture is warm to the touch. Pour entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly until pudding starts to thicken and it coats the back of a wooden spoon.

3. Pull off the heat and add in cream and vanilla. Spoon a small amount into 6 glass serving cups. Refrigerate while you make the whipped cream. Divide the whipped cream among the glasses (reserving a little extra for garnish). Top with remaining pudding. Garnish each with a dollop of whipped cream and a crushed oreo cookie.

Warning! This is simply, hands down the BEST banana pudding you will EVER taste! Being from the South, trust me, I have tasted my fair share of banana puddings and I am able to say this with complete confidence. This is the one recipe that takes them all!

I have to give credit to my good friend Julie for this recipe. Strangely enough Julie doesn’t even like bananas, so it’s even more incredible and a true testament to her cooking talents. I modified it only slightly. You’ll be tempted to scoop out a very large dish of this but I’m telling you it’s very RICH so go easy!

Here are a few tips: You’ll want to use nice, firm bananas. Also, I know you’re going to want to dive right into this, but it really is best to wait a few hours to let the pudding to chill and to allow the wafers to soak up that nana goodness!

Every time I have taken this dish to an event or served it at home, I get the same reaction. First their eyes get a little bigger, the smile starts to grow and then the lovely sounds of “mmmh, oh, oh, this is delicious” (and a myriad of other adjectives) inevitably followed by “I HAVE TO HAVE THIS RECIPE!”

So break out that Trifle bowl that you got as a wedding gift or engagement gift that you put WAY in the back of your cabinet somewhere & put it to good use. You’ll be happy you did!

2. In Trifle bowl arrange vanilla wafers on bottom of the bowl. Add in some of the banana pudding, arrange more vanilla wafers on the sides. After you’ve added half of the pudding mixture add a small layer of cool whip and then more vanilla wafers to the side. Add remainder of pudding mixture. Top with remainder of cool whip. Garnish with sprinkling of heath chips.

1. For pudding, whisk cornstarch and sugar together in a saucepan. Add milk and whisk to combine. Add egg yolks and salt. Whisk well. Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil while continually whisking. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes after mixture starts to boil and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract.

4. Prepare meringue by whipping egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and continue to beat until you have firm peaks. Spread over pudding and place under broiler for just a minute or two, until golden brown.

5. Let cool completely, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

My friend Jeni showed up at my house recently with a bag from Magnolia Bakery. It didn’t even cross my mind that there would be anything inside but cupcakes — which is what the NYC baker is most famous for by far. And yes, there were four cupcakes for the kids (she wasn’t sure which combo my kids liked — chocolate/vanilla, chocolate/chocolate, etc.) but also a promising little container for me! It was filled with Magnolia’s apparently-second-most-famous item: The most luscious banana pudding I have ever tasted. (It’s topped with real live Nilla wafers!!) I immediately fetched my paperback Magnolia Cookbook and plotted a homemade version. Click to the jump for the recipe so you can join me.

Blend the water, pudding mix, and sweetened condensed milk until well mixed. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Whipe the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well incorporated. In a trifle bowl, layer wavers, sliced bananas, then pudding mixture. Continue until all the mixture is used up and top with crumbled wafers and bananas. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve in individual bowls garnished with more wafers and bananas. (That little herb sprig is definitely optional.)

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